Today is..

..September 28th.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOTHER!!

Can't wait to see you in THREE days and have a coffee and cupcake in honor of your special day! Charles is sure excited to see his Nanna soon :)

Wasp vs Dragonfly

It seems as though I have been privy to some pretty unusual insect sightings. For example, you may remember this post. Yesterday I was witness to a brawl. A showdown. Ok, a THROWdown, between a wasp and a dragonfly. 

The wasp won. 

Charles and I were just sitting on our blanket minding our own business when a few feet away we heard a frantic buzzing. Flying just above the grass was a dragonfly with a wasp on it's back. I wasn't sure if the wasp was stinging it or just attacking. It pinned the dragonfly to the ground while it's long wings were buzzing like crazy and then the wasp flew away. The dragonfly laid in the grass and every now and then would try to fly but one of it's wings was pretty bent up. 

I tried to get it to climb on a stick but it just hobbled away. We left it alone and continued our book reading and airplane spotting.
About ten minutes later, the wasp came back. I saw it hovering over the grass looking for the dragonfly, I'm sure, perhaps to finish the job? It spotted it's prey and landed on it's mark. The dragonfly was no longer flapping it's wings and the only movement I could see from it was the end of it's tail(?) curling and uncurling. Like a scorpion.

Was the wasp... pollinating? Do wasps even do that? From where we were sitting it looked like it was chewing the dragonfly's face off. After a few minutes it left and I walked over to take a closer look.
This is what I saw

Upon further examination, I noticed this laying a few inches away. If you're thinking that's the dragonfly's head, you are right.

I know what you're thinking. Gross. I agree. The wasp somehow decapitated the dragonfly and then ate it's guts. I didn't even know wasps did this. Don't dragonflies eat other bugs, including bees? Perhaps it was an act of self defense? Dragonflies beware, do not mess with wasps!

Brutality and grotesqueness aside, I was able to see the details on it's wings which I thought were really beautiful. And the colors on it's body were so vibrant!

Loves

FINALLY!

If any of you pay attention to my reading list on the side bar you will be happy to note that I have FINALLY moved on from Lolita. A book that has taken me over a year to finish. Yes. Over a year. I started it shortly before giving birth and since then have struggled to read it. Not struggled reading it, but wanting to read it. Not to say it is a bad book, some parts are beautifully written, the subject matter, however, is not what I would call 'desirable'. I knew a little of what I was getting into prior to starting the book having interpreted two english classes that had been required to read it, and seen clips of the film. Actually reading it is obviously different that simply being audience to discussion about it. I think it wouldn't have been as big of a deal if I didn't have a baby after starting it- reading the inner thoughts of a grown man and his feelings towards/actions with a twelve year old girl was not what I wanted to spend my time doing, especially having just become a mother. Not to mention the mere issue of having the time for myself to sit and read.
Others tried to persuade me to forget the book and just start another. This, I can not do. I don't like not finishing a book nor do I favor reading more than one book at a time. So.. a year has gone by and I finally trudged my way through the last 80 or so pages and now I am done.
done. done. done.
For those of you who want to read Lolita, or will eventually be reading it as you continue your own quest through The List, please don't let my own experience sway you or give you a bias. I am certain if I had started it earlier or waited I would not have taken so long to get through it. Sitting down at home to read a book just hasn't been one of my top priorities over the last year. I often read on the train going to and from work but work has been very part time since becoming a mother and when I first started up again I was too tired to read on the train anyway!
All this to say.. I have finished Lolita. Finally. :)

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'Daw'

Our little man has started to walk. He's still wobbly and definitely prefers crawling right now as it gets him where he wants to go faster, but he's walking none the less. Here's proof.

11months

Charles loves airplanes, trucks (or any loud vehicle) and dogs. Every time a plane flies over he shouts and looks/points up at the sky, and when he sees a dog, or hears one, he says 'Daw' (can't quite get the 'g' sound) and when asked 'What does a dog say?' will tell you 'woof'.

pointing to airplane/11months

Not only is he walking but he just turned 11 months. ELEVEN. I can hardly believe it! How is he eleven months old already?? I'm sure I will be saying the same thing in three weeks when he turns a year old..  oh my. I'm starting to get things ready for a birthday party and although we love the family God has given us here in NY, I am happy to say that Papa, Nana and Auntie Betsy will be coming to Brooklyn to celebrate Charles' first year with us. New York is a wonderful place to be in the fall too so it will be a nice time for them to visit.

FALL! I am so excited it's here! Well, almost. We have had 80 degree weather but it's getting colder in the mornings and evenings. Cardigans and hoodies have been worn. Fall-ish recipes are being looked at and drooled over once again. The time for hearty soups, spicy breads, and fruit crisps are upon us. Plans for pumpkin/apple picking are being made and I am super excited. We didn't get to go last year which was a bummer. Every weekend in October last year was crummy weather so we are hoping that this year is different. My friend Sharon and I are already talking about how cute Hailey and Charles will be in the pumpkin field. Lots of pictures will be taken I guarantee it.

Fall. Autumn. Crisp air and colorful leaves. It's my favorite time of year. What are you looking forward to about Fall??

Good Stuff

A two hour job interpreting (it's been a while)
Teaming with a favorite/friend
Raspberry muffin and iced latte
Walking in the City
No rain even though the weather channel said otherwise
A baby happy to see me when I picked him up after work
Kind and trustworthy friends to take care of my baby
Buy one get one FREE: Edy's Ice cream (my favorite)
Hamburger Helper Cheesy Ranch Burger to make dinner a little easier tonight
A night at home with Chris to watch a movie